This Is How Popular Songs Would Look If They Were Created In Shakespearean Times

Top 40 songs tend to be a mixed bag of a few decently-written tunes, and a whole lot of mind-numbingly ridiculous drivel. Astoria, New York-based writer and musician Erik Didriksen decided to raise the bar, and since 2014, he has turned 161 popular hits into Shakespearean sonnets. In case you’re wondering, yes, it’s exactly as amazing as it sounds.

Pop Sonnets started with an Elizabethan take on Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” posted to Tumblr back in April 2014, and quickly grew into a weekly publication with over 50 thousand followers. In 2015, Didriksen even managed to have 100 of his most compelling sonnets published in hardcover by Quirk Books. Whatever your favourite song is, we’re pretty sure it sounds a hundred times better in iambic pentameter.

Though the series has unfortunately been on hiatus since March 2016, plenty of current and throwback jams can be found among his impressive portfolio. Scroll down to see some of our favorites – just try not to get the original song stuck in your head while reading!